frailty

American  

[freyl-tee, frey-uhl-] / ˈfreɪl ti, ˈfreɪ əl- /

noun

plural

frailties

1. the quality or state of being frail.

   Synonyms:

   weakness, delicacy

2. moral weakness; liability to yield to temptation.

3. a fault resulting from moral weakness.

   frailties of the human flesh.

   Synonyms:

   defect, flaw

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frailty British  

/ ˈfreɪltɪ /

noun

1. physical or moral weakness

2. (often plural) a fault symptomatic of moral weakness

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Other Word Forms

• overfrailty noun

Etymology

Origin of frailty

1300–50; Middle English frailte, frelete < Old French frailete < Latin fragilitāt- (stem of fragilitās ). See frail ¹, -ity

Explanation

Frailty describes a quality that's shared by a sick kitten, an elderly man, and a shoddily built go cart. They all have a delicate weakness or vulnerability and seem to require some kind of care. The Old French fraileté, or "weakness" is the root of frailty, and it in turn comes from the Latin word for "fragile," fragilis. What's interesting is that "fragility" was used in the 14th century to mean a kind of moral, rather than physical, weakness. Today frailty can be used this way too, to describe a state of having shaky — or fragile — morals.

Example Sentences

Older adults still require adequate protein, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D - especially to preserve muscle mass and prevent frailty.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

Beethoven’s music improves Goethe, extracting its humanity and frailty, and Dudamel’s performance probed its profound inevitability of good triumphing over evil.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Like Donne, we can mine wisdom from the frailty of our mortal bodies—but be grateful that when the bell tolls for thee, plague, smallpox and typhus won’t be to blame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

He helps to run a "hospital-at-home" service, which provides specialist hospital-level care to patients with frailty and conditions such as heart failure and respiratory illness.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026

She wondered if he worried about Gabe now, about the frailty of the little boat he was striving to build and the dangers he would face if somehow he launched it into the river.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• defect
• deficiency
• failing
• fallibility
• foible
• imperfection
• infirmity
• shortcoming